World Doula Week – Sleep Number from Mama Glow on Vimeo.

Every day in every part of the world, in cities and countrysides, people are giving birth.

This week, March 22-28th, World Doula Week, we celebrate the incredible contributions that DOULAS make. We’ve partnered with @SleepNumber to celebrate birth workers and encourage us all to reclaim our rest.

Much like birth itself, birth work is exhilarating and exhausting. As doulas our job is to protect the birth experience, particularly the emotional wellbeing of our clients. It is hard work physically and emotionally to help birthing clients navigate their experience, but it’s even more challenging to head back into our lives and make space for sleep.

So many caregivers suffer burn-out. What if we nurtured our rest the way we expect our clients to nurture theirs?

For me, sleep is everything. When I get a quality night of sleep after attending a birth, I feel restored on all levels. Good sleep improves my mood, my cognitive function and my ability to show up as a teacher to my doula trainees at Mama Glow. Setting the stage for quality sleep doesn’t start when you climb into bed, it starts when you wake up for the day. After each birth I engage in a grounding practice that helps relax me and prepare me for quality sleep.

There are obstacles and systemic barriers that make our work even more challenging as birth workers And even still, we rise. When all is over, who is meant to care for the doulas? Caregivers need rest. To sustain this work, we must be equally committed to our rest as we are to our clients. So reclaim your rest my friends. To all the hard working doulas and birth workers everywhere, we see you. We love you.

Happy World Doula Week.

Waking/Sleeping in my Sleep Number 360 smart bed! #SmarterSleep#WorldDoulaWeek